Terrorist: The State Dreams Its Enemy Into Being 7" (new)

Debut Terrorist EP.

The state dreams its enemy into being conjures him out of rubble. American today, gone tomorrow.

Our take: Debut 7” from this New York punk band on the Toxic State label. As I’ve noted before, it seems like an unwritten rule that every New York band from the Toxic State scene needs to find their own style and voice, and Terrorist continue that trend by firmly establishing their own aesthetic on this debut EP. While I don’t know much about the personnel (they only list first names on the sleeve), it was recorded at D4MT Labs, home of Kaleidoscope. This EP bears some of the hallmarks of that crew, like the wah-drenched guitars that remind me of Shiva from Kaleidoscope’s psychedelic explorations. However, Terrorist isn’t a pscyh band; their primitive, propulsive thump reminds me a lot of standout Exploited tracks like “Attack” or “Dead Cities” even though, as a whole, the band doesn’t have a strong UK82 vibe. The contrast between the loose and jammy guitar sound and the powerful primitivism of the rhythm section is jarring at first, but it works and makes this record both singular and powerful. And, since it’s on Toxic State, you know the design and presentation is 100% on point.